Encaustic Paintings by Regina Quinn
My next interview is with Regina Quinn, an encaustic painter who resides in the Northern Catskill Mountains of New York. Gina discusses her passion for encaustic painting, the influence of Yellowstone National Park on her work, and shares advice for artists working to develop their careers.
Hi Regina! Tell me a bit about yourself and your background.
I have drawn and painted for as long as I can remember. I’ve also always had a deep love of nature, of math, and of art, which eventually led me to become an elementary and middle school teacher (I currently work in STEM higher education). Throughout my life, though, I have always been involved in the arts. I’ve done freelance work, painted murals, designed and painted theater sets, and taught painting, printmaking, digital imaging, photography, filmmaking, and ceramics classes for adults and children. It has only been in the past few years that I have actively worked to show my work and, over the past two years, have had dozens of shows across the country at art centers, galleries, and museums.
I notice that you mainly depict landscapes (and you depict them so beautifully!), how do you go about selecting your subject matter?
I feel deeply connected to the natural world and spend as much time exploring it as I can. I also have a rather long daily commute, but I am fortunate that much of it is through the northern mountains and past a variety of waterways. I think of my daily commute as observation time - so I get to soak in the beauty of the landscape for almost 2 hours each day.
My work is almost never based on a specific location. Rather, my paintings are a synthesis of observations over time. The way I select the subject matter is by being attuned to what moves me most deeply. I’m particularly drawn to landscapes at dawn or dusk or in a fleeting state of change - such as changing weather conditions or edges of seasons. The image, or a sense of the image, starts to form. I typically do some more observing and mental fine-tuning before I actually begin painting.
What led you to encaustic painting?
There was a definite moment that really piqued my interest in exploring encaustic. My daughter (Instagram: @aquinsta) is involved with Arts and Cultural programming at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, DC. Several years ago I saw an exhibit there that included work by Doug and Michael Starn (aka The Starn Brothers). It was an image of branches of trees printed on mulberry paper and dipped in encaustic medium. I was enthralled by its luminosity and made the decision right there on the spot. It took me a few years before I actually got the equipment and set up a space with ventilation. I began working with encaustics about 7 years ago.
You mentioned in one of your posts that you often begin with watercolor sketches. Can you tell me about your process and technique?
For each encaustic with mixed media painting I create, I strive to approach the work without a predetermined process in mind, as I am always seeking to experiment and discover the possibilities of combining media. Yet, for some or my recent work, when I have a relatively clear vision of the ultimate piece I am attempting to create, a somewhat consistent process has emerged. With a spark of inspiration from the natural landscape at dawn or dusk, I begin a painting on a cradled encaustic board panel using a combination of caran d’ache crayons and other watercolor paints. The crayons allow gestural drawing while washes of watercolor applied with wide hake brushes allow me to lay down large swaths of color that serve as the basic architecture of the work. Approaching the foundation of a painting in this way supports a stronger, simpler composition that I can then elaborate with detail without sacrificing the compositional integrity of the piece.
Once the watercolor layer has been established, I apply hot encaustic wax layers. A layer may consist solely of encaustic medium or may include opaque or transparent encaustic paints. Each layer is applied with a brush or by pouring and then fused with heat from a hot air gun. As I build layers of wax, I carve, scratch or slice into them with razor blades, knives, or woodcutting tools to create depth and texture. Some areas are fused lightly while other areas involve sustained application of heat resulting in more turbulent cloudlike formations.
At this point, I may begin to apply oil paints mixed with R & F Blending Medium which is a combination of beeswax and linseed oil (AKA cold wax). Applied to a rough or smooth encaustic surface, oils with beeswax make textures more pronounced and add luminous color. I may apply using an R & F pigment stick, or by using a brush dipped in oil paints mixed with the cold wax medium.
Once applied to the surface, I blend with brushes, scrape with palette knives or razor blades, rub in with cloth, and then lightly fuse to the encaustic surface with a heat gun. After allowing these oil-based layers to dry, I may carve or scrape back some areas, and then coat with another layer of encaustic medium or paints, repeating this layering process again and again and again until the desired effect is reached.
I notice that many of your paintings are inspired by Yellowstone National Park. Can you tell me about your experiences there, and how it’s shaped your work?
Last fall, I had a painting accepted in the Yellowstone Art Museum’s North x Northwest exhibit in Billings, Montana. It was my first museum exhibit and I decided to go out for the opening, and while there, to go to Yellowstone National Park (and Grand Teton National Park). I was floored by the scale of the mountains, the immensity of wildlife, and, more than anything, by all of the geothermal features. Before going to Yellowstone, I read a lot of books and websites about what to see and, frankly, wasn’t all that interested in the hot springs. When I saw Mammoth Hot Springs and the areas nearby, my jaw dropped. It’s really like being on another planet. What made it even more awesome was the fact that such a sterile-looking environment is actually teaming with microbial life. I can not wait to return and am currently reading an in-depth text about the science and history of the springs.
I’m still absorbing the experience and learning about it, so the influences are still trickling into my work, but, as I learn more, I try to synthesize that knowledge with the memories of the visual and physical sensations of being there. I’ve done just a few pieces based on Yellowstone’s hot springs, but there will be many more!
Who are your biggest influences?
Three painters that come to mind are Van Gogh, Vermeer, and Rothko. Their work is so different, yet, their work feels similarly intense and honest. There really are hundreds or thousands of artists whose work influences mine, but I don’t think the influences are stylistic. It’s more that I am moved by artists whose work seems deeply felt. This includes many genres of painting, music, dance and sculpture.
When did you join Instagram, and how has it impacted you as an artist?
I joined Instagram in 2012. The impact has been profound because, even though I live in a geographically remote area, I am connected to encaustic (and other) artists around the world. What I value most is seeing what other people are doing and engaging in conversations about our work. Simply stated, I have found my artistic community. Seeing other people’s work - particularly work in progress - inspires me to try new things or paint in ways I might not have considered. It also gives me a kind of joy in knowing that there are so many people creating beauty. Particularly when there is so much darkness in the world.
What advice would you give to young artists or those who are working to get their art out into the world?
The first thing is to be true to what you want to create and to keep working to improve your work so that you are deeply pleased with it. Sharing your work online is a great way to put it out in the world - and if you use a platform like Instagram, be sure to refine your skills at using hashtags. (that has made a huge difference to me and it is how I have built a following of 2,500+) Check sites like CAFE, Submittable, Online Juried Shows, and New York Arts Foundation.
There are many many calls for art and if you search diligently, you’ll find the shows to enter. Also, think about places that are not galleries or museums, to start. Public places where people will see your work - like cafe’s, libraries, etc.
Follow Regina on Instagram at: ginabq
Website: www.reginabquinn.net